The Merits of Seeking Knowledge | Episode 4 | Keys to Life by Sh. Azhar Nasser

[00:00:01][music] Alhamdulillah dear brothers and sisters and welcome to another episode of keys to life brought to you by lady fat trust and tim institute. So in our last episode we spoke about uh the virtue of reflection and contemplation and we highlighted uh some of the the signs of rationality and the importance of not uh burdening ourselves with things that the has not asked us to do.

[00:00:48]And now we come to we come to the next topic uh which is also related to these are all uh discussions relating to the relationship uh of the person with himself and that is the importance of seeking knowledge. So these are qualities that we have to uh acquire and cultivate within ourselves irrespective of our interactions with others. You know even if you live alone you need to be rational. Even if you live alone you should be someone who uh pursues and seeks knowledge. So the next topic that we have is the the importance of being a knowledge seeker.

[00:01:32]We have many many a hadith that emphasize the the merits of the seeker of knowledge. In fact, we have one narration from the prophet sallallahu alaihi wasall found in Mahassan by Ahmed Muhammad ali who was one of the the teachers of in this book there is a narration from the prophet sallallahu alaihi wasall where he says he says strive to either be a scholar or a seeker of knowledge.

[00:02:18]And beware of being someone who is who was who is a distracted pleasure seeker. The prophet sallallahu alaihi wasall he says a believer should be one of two. You should either be a person of knowledge or a seeker of knowledge. You should not be someone who's just uh consumed and interested in satisfying their their lower desires.

[00:02:43]Because if you are someone who is living that type of life, a hedonistic life where it's all about the pursuit of pleasure, then there is essentially nothing separating you from other animals.

[00:02:55]The the distinguisher between insan and other animals is the development of the intellect. And one of the most important ways to develop our rationality is to seek knowledge is to nourish our minds with withil with with knowledge.

[00:03:14]We have a narration from and this is found in just you know to give you some um you know tidbits about these sources.

[00:03:27]Mishkatul is is a book on ethics and spirituality. It's a hadith book authored by Abdul Hassi.

[00:03:36]He's also the the author of he died in 548 after the hijra.

[00:03:45]In his book, there is a narration attributed to where the Imam he says the imisam he says take wisdom even if it comes from the polytheists.

[00:04:06]Now, sometimes, of course, it's always best to take wisdom from pious people, from god-fearing people, but sometimes you might have someone who doesn't share your theology, who doesn't share your worldview, but they have they've memorized or they've come to discover some wise sayings, some words of wisdom.

[00:04:29]The imam he says take wisdom benefit from wisdom even if it comes from the tongues of mushri. This shows you how important hikma is that yes a mushik is not a mushik is not wise but sometimes even unwise people they they may speak wise things they may speak things of value. So benefit from them in in that regard. But we also need to have that discernment. Right?

[00:04:59]So we should not be affected by the unwise things of such people, the unwise sayings of such people because you might have someone who's an atheist for example but they have some wise sayings about you know certain aspects of life.

[00:05:15]So just because someone has wise sayings it doesn't mean that we should take from them uh uncritically. You know a prime example is you know many years ago you know people used to be obsessed with people like Jordan Peterson. Jordan Peterson sometimes he would say wise things but I think we all know you know based on the things that he has said in recent years that he's an unwise person.

[00:05:38]So sometimes an unwise person can share with you certain pearls of wisdom but we have to have the discernment to distinguish between what we take from them and what we what we reject. So we should we should always we should never uncritically embrace uh someone who doesn't share our worldview or our ideology.

[00:06:01]Now in another saying that we have from he says imagine the imam says take wisdom even from the mouths of the insane. You know sometimes people who are insane they may say they may speak words of wisdom. You know often times people who are not fully there because they don't really care about their surroundings and they don't observe you know etiquets you know sometimes they might have some some insightful things to say. So you should always have your minds and your hearts open to the possibility of receiving wisdom from unsuspecting places. And this uh this narration is found in and by the way as as just a side comment many people especially lay people they assume that is a book that was dictated by im it's a famous ethical and spiritual work and often times people attribute it to Imad.

[00:07:11]It's important to note that many scholars actually do not believe that it is uh the words of Imam Assad. They say that this is a book that has um Sufi elements and influences and therefore they don't actually attribute it to Imam Assad. But in any case, you know, these statements are uh are corroborated by what we know from our other reliable hadith sources.

[00:07:38]We have a narration another narration from Again, this all goes back to the appreciation of knowledge, the importance of seeking knowledge.

[00:07:50]This narration is found in He says hold fast to knowledge and manners, proper etiquette.

[00:08:11]There are some people they have knowledge but they don't have manners.

[00:08:14]They don't have proper etiquette. We need both and you might have someone who has knowledge but they don't know how to talk to people. They speak condescendingly to people. They make people feel inferior to them. They're arrogant.

[00:08:31]They speak harshly.

[00:08:34]He says, "Hold fast to knowledge and proper conduct." The reason why the prophet sallallahu alaihi wasall was so effective is because not only was he knowledgeable but he was he had the best manners. His words would penetrate deeply into the hearts of the people because of his adep.

[00:08:55]So he says hold fast to knowledge and good manners.

[00:09:07]Look at the value of knowledge. He says for the scholar, the one who has knowledge is honored even if he is not of noble lineage.

[00:09:17]This is the power of knowledge, the value of knowledge. If there's a scholar, people rever that scholar even if he doesn't come from a noble family.

[00:09:32]A scholar is honored even if they are poor. You know, typically someone who is poor, society ignores such people. They overlook them. But a true scholar, even if they're poor, they're honored. In fact, in many cases, because they are far from the special place in the people's hearts and a scholar is honored even if he is young. You know, sometimes, you know, usually when we when we look at young people, we dismiss them as inexperienced or, you know, but if if there's someone who's a scholar, even if they're young, they're honored, they're respected, they're held in in high regard. And we have many examples in our uh in our history of who were very young. You know one example is it is said that he attained before he even became. So he never needed to do when he became he basically followed his own scholarly opinions because he became a before. Now, of course, as as they expanded, you know, this is very rare, almost impossible for someone to reach in this day and age before they become Balik just because of how vast these sciences are and how much they have developed over the centuries.

[00:11:10]In a narration that we have from the prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam again you know the point of these narrations is to inspire us to become seekers of knowledge and ultimately uh scholars.

[00:11:24]sallallahu alaihi wasallam the prophet he said about knowledge he says knowledge is so great in the sight of Allah subhana wa ta'ala that teaching teaching knowledge imparting knowledge knowledge that makes you a better person knowledge that draws you closer to Allah subhana wa ta'ala that makes you a more refined human being a more moral human being teaching such knowledge is it's a good deed and seeking such knowledge is worship.

[00:12:06]Don't think that worship is only when you stand on your prayer mat and you bow and you prostrate. Yes, that is salah is the best. But knowledge is also a form of worship. When you're holding that book, when you're holding and you're reading a hadith to gain a deeper understanding of your dean, this is this is worship discussing knowledge. discussing religious knowledge is a form of it's it's a way of glorifying God and acting on knowledge because that's the ultimate goal. The goal is not to just know, it's to act. It's to translate that knowledge from the theoretical to the practical.

[00:12:59]Acting on knowledge is jihad.

[00:13:02]It is a sacred struggle. A mujahid has a great position with Allah subhanaa tala.

[00:13:08]The one who acts upon their knowledge they are considered mujahid.

[00:13:12]This is a type of sacred struggle.

[00:13:16]And then the prophet again he continues in another narration. He says teaching it imparting knowledge to the one who does not know. The prophet says this is a type of it's a type of charity. You know, usually when we think about charity, we think about financial donations. But really the best thing that you can do is to give knowledge to someone because you might donate some money. You know, they go use that money, they buy a meal, and it's finished. But knowledge is a type of sustenance that stays with people. It continuously nourishes them as long as they act upon it.

[00:14:05]imparting knowledge to those who are worthy of it. You know there are some people who don't have the capacity to receive certain types of knowledge being selective and imparting knowledge to those who are worthy who have the capacity to receive it. This is a means of attaining nearness to Allah because it shows that you you appreciate this knowledge that you don't just give it to anyone. You consider it to be precious and you impart it to only those who are worthy of it.

[00:14:42]Why is this knowledge so great and so significant? Is because this is the knowledge of what is halal and what is haram. This is the most sacred knowledge, the best knowledge, the most noble knowledge is the knowledge that opens your eyes to what Allah has commanded, what Allah has made permissible and what Allah has forbidden. This is the ultimate knowledge to know to discover what God expects of us to know the limits of Allah subhana wa ta'ala.

[00:15:22]This religious knowledge the reason why it is so valuable because this knowledge these are like the minoretses the signposts that lead you to paradise.

[00:15:34]We're not just talking about knowledge that's going to enhance my dunya. No, because ultimately this dunya is going to come to an end. We are seeking that knowledge that is going to sustain us even when we leave this world. The knowledge that's going to take us to our final destination which is paradise. So manar you know the word manar basically it's it's the place of fire. You know in the past they would have minoretses and there would be fire uh ignited uh so that people would look up and they they could find their way. So the type of knowledge that truly has value is the knowledge that helps you find your way that helps you navigate the moral uh challenges that we face in life that ultimately takes you to paradise.

[00:16:22]My dear brothers and sisters, the more you the deeper you dive into the religious sciences, the deeper you dive into the teachings of Islam and the teachings of you will find that the knowledge itself becomes a companion. I pray that all of us we get to a point where when we open up and we're reading the words of that we don't even feel lonely even if we're by ourselves we feel that we are in the company of when we're reading the words of Ali we feel that Ali is in front of us when we read by we feel that we're in the presence of when we read you know we feel that we're in the presence pres of when we read we feel that we have stepped into the presence of imbak this is possible it's possible to reach this level this is attainable and for those of you who have spent years studying the Islamic tradition you know that there is no joy greater than exposing your heart and your mind to the traditions of it's the ultimate solution to loneliness because you feel intellectually and spiritually connected to these oceans of of spiritual knowledge. So this podcast is brought to you by the Lady Fatima Trust. Lady Fatima Trust is one of my favorite uh charities uh because of the wonderful work they do all around the world. And one of the the projects that I think deserves our support is their sustainable water projects. You know, clean water, my dear brothers and sisters, is one of the most underappreciated blessings that we have in our lives. We truly take it for granted that when when we want clean water, we just turn on the faucet. But for many people, that's not the case.

[00:18:16]You know, in many parts of the world, uh mothers uh literally have to wake up uh before dawn and they have to walk many many miles to go to, you know, a nearby water source. And often times that water source is unclean and unsafe to drink.

[00:18:32]And in many parts of the world, children, you know, they miss school because they have to, you know, haul around uh heavy jugs of water for their families. And when families are drinking this contaminated water, they fall sick and they die because of these illnesses.

[00:18:47]And most, if not all of these illnesses are preventable. So, I'd like to invite all of you, my dear brothers and sisters, to to take a look at the the sustainable water projects uh that are available for you to support at the Lady Fatma Trust. one uh borewell can give a mother her time back. It can send children back to school. It can protect the health and restore the dignity of these families. So, I urge all of you brothers and sisters to please check out their website and help turn hours of hardship into a lifetime of possibility.

[00:19:21]You know, donating uh clean water is one of the highest forms of charity. So don't miss out on this opportunity to participate in something that will really uh serve as a for you and your families.

[00:19:40]We have a hadith of the prophet again this is found in it's a lesserk known source many people are not familiar with it. It was authored by Muhammad fatali.

[00:19:53]It's one of the the sources that are used by in his the hadith is from the prophet where he says whoever learns a branch of knowledge for example you learn the of a branch of knowledge.

[00:20:21]Whoever learns a branch of knowledge in order to teach people for the sake of Allah, what is the reward of such a person?

[00:20:37]Such a person will be given the reward of 70 prophets.

[00:20:44]Now, of course, this does not mean that you will achieve the rank of prophets.

[00:20:48]We have to make a distinction between and Allah says if you teach people a branch of knowledge for the sake of Allah because this is the this is the job of prophets. This is what prophets used to do. Allah will reward you the reward of 70 prophets. This shows you that in the Islamic tradition the most respected people in society are those who teach those who impart knowledge. Unfortunately, you know, in this society, the lowest paid people are often teachers.

[00:21:22]And this is a reflection of what a society values. In the Islamic tradition, the most sacred job, the most honorable job is to teach, to be an educator.

[00:21:35]The prophet sallallahu alaihi wasall he says in another hadith and this is mentioned in byani um I think it's been translated I believe it's called the desire of the aspirant the prophet says whoever wishes to look upon those whom Allah has freed from the hellfire Let him look at the seekers of knowledge.

[00:22:12]The prophet says, I swear by the one in whose hand is my soul.

[00:22:32]The prophet says, "By him in who in whose hand is my soul, no student, no student of knowledge repeatedly goes to the door of a scholar except that Allah records for him [clears throat] for every step he takes the worship of an entire year."

[00:22:53]So even the effort that you make to reach a scholar, Allah subhana wa ta'ala rewards you for it. And this is meant to inspire you to become a devoted student of knowledge. And then the hadith continues for every for every step you take to go and learn from a scholar says for every step Allah will build not a house he will build a city a city in Jenna for you.

[00:23:35]The prophet says, "And when a student of knowledge is walking to a scholar or walking to a gathering of learning, the earth, the earth, the very earth that is carrying him, the earth will seek forgiveness on his behalf.

[00:23:58]He passes the evening and the morning forgiven.

[00:24:02]He's forgiven of his sins.

[00:24:11]And the angels, the angels, they bear witness that they are among the ones whom Allah has freed from the hellfire.

[00:24:22]Look at the honor of the seeker of knowledge. My dear brothers and sisters, it's very important that if we are if we're not scholars and you know very few of us are in the truth sense, then let us at least register as seekers of knowledge. And this means we need to be seeking knowledge not just in the month of Muharam in the month of Ramadan. We need to have a structured Islamic educational program that we're a part of.

[00:24:53]The prophet sallallahu alaihi wasall in another hadith mentioned by he says attending a gathering of a scholar is better than what?

[00:25:17]Many of you are familiar with the a hadith about how if you attend the funeral of a mumin one of the benefits is that all of your sins are forgiven.

[00:25:29]Allah subhana wa tala in honor of that m Allah forgives all of your sins.

[00:25:36]This is if you attend one janaza. The prophet says attending a gathering where you're benefiting from a scholar. It's better than attending 1,000 janazis and it's better than visiting a thousand sick people. I have read where have highlighted that if you visit a sick person for the sake of Allah, you spend a few minutes with them, you check on them and you go home, 70,000 angels, they escort you back to your home and they ask Allah to forgive you. This is if you visit one sick personool he says attending a gathering of a scholar and learning from that scholar it is greater in the sight of Allah than attending a thousand funerals and visiting a thousand sick people.

[00:26:28]Imagine the and inshallah when we attend gatherings where there are we should make the intention we should seek this reward from Allah subhana wa ta'ala. We should pray to Allah that he grants us this reward and and even more.

[00:26:44]And then I'll just conclude with uh two more hadith where the prophet sallallahu alaihi he says.

[00:27:03]Whoever goes to the masjid in the morning with no purpose other than to learn something beneficial or to teach something beneficial. See the masid is supposed to be not just a place where we get together and pray or hold social events. The masjid should be a place of education.

[00:27:22]So the prophet says whoever goes to the masid in the morning with the intention of learning or teaching for the sake of Allah they will receive the reward of one who has per performed a complete omrah an omrah that has been accepted by Allah subhana tala that has no deficiencies and whoever goes to the masjid in the evening If a person goes to the masid in the evening and they go with no purpose other than to learn something beneficial or to teach for such a person they will receive the reward of a complete Hajj an accepted Hajj. Now of course this doesn't mean that you know this is no replacement for the this is a reference to the and then finally my dear brothers and sisters we'll end with this beautiful hadith from the prophet mentioned in by uh Hassbassi he quotes a narration from the prophet the prophet sallallahu alaihi wasall he says Whoever takes two steps in pursuit of knowledge and whoever sits with a scholar for two hours, you know many of us we can sit and watch Netflix for two three hours.

[00:29:01]Okay, we can sit with a scholar for two hours for 3 hours. The hadith says the one who takes two steps in pursuit of knowledge and sits with a scholar for two hours and who hears two words, two words of wisdom from a teacher.

[00:29:28]Allah will grant such a person two gardens of paradise. Allah will make it incumbent upon himself to give that person two gardens of paradise. And then the prophet he recited the ayah of jatan surah 55 ayia 46. So we can see my dear brothers and sisters that the Islamic tradition emphasizes the importance of being either one of two.

[00:30:00]We should either be scholars who are contributing to the community or seekers of knowledge who are developing themselves. Because if we want to develop our rationality, if we want to develop our intellect, the oxygen, the nourishment for our intellect is is knowledge. I ask Allah subhana wa ta'ala to inspire us all to be seekers of knowledge. Thank you so much brothers and sisters for tuning in once again.